Method of and apparatus for supporting and lowering foundations of buildings



No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. L. P. FRIESTEDT. METHOD OF AND APPARATUSFOR SUPPORTING AND LOWERING FOUNDATIONS 0P BUILDINGS. No. 435,492.Patented Sept. 2, 1890.

(No Model.)

L. P. PRIESTEDT.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND L OWERING FOUNDATIONS 0FBUILDINGS.

Patented Sept. 2, 1890. W

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AND LOWERING FOUNDATIONS OFBUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,492, datedSeptember 2, 1890.

Application filed May 20, 1890. Serial No. 352,444. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in a Method of and Meansfor Supporting and Lowering the Foundations of Buildings, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, that will enableothers to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a temporary foundation forsupporting large buildings by taking the entire weight from off thefoundation proper, whereby the same may be strengthened or extended downto any desired depth.

The invention consists in sinking a number of well-holes or shafts downinto the earth along, parallel to, and on each side of the permanentfoundation-walls, and then building up a temporary foundation from thebottom of these wells and supporting the weight of the structurethereon. The earth may then be removed from underneath the old orpermanent foundation until the excavation has reached the requireddepth. Then the new part of the old or permanent foundation may be builtup from the bottom of the excavation until it joins and becomes anintegral part of the old foundationwalls. The temporary foundation maythen be removed and the different excavations filled in solidly. Thewell-holes for the temporary foundation will be preferably of acylindrical form and of a diameter in accordance with the weight of thestructure to be supported, the required diameter of thesupporting-columns being placed therein. The necessity for animprovement of this kind may arise when a tunnel is to be run underabuilding or block of buildings for the passage of street or other cars,or when necessary to extend downwardly or lower the old foundation-wallsfor the purpose of strengthening the same, or for the purpose ofsupporting a greater weight when additional stories are to be placed onthe structure, or for any purpose whatsoever when it is necessary toexcavate below the foundationwalls of any structure.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional end elevation showing thetemporary foundation and the relative posit-ion thereto of the originalpermanent foundation-walls and the new part joined thereto. Fig. 2 is abroken-away plan showing the different steps in their order ofprogression in building up the temporary foundation; Fig. 3, a verticalsection of one of the well-holes ready to receive thesupporting-columns; and Fig. 4: is an elevation of a building, showingthe course of a tunnel and the bottom line of the old foundation.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a number of well-holes or shaftsarranged at intervals along the respective sides of the permanentfoundation wall or walls B, the relative position of which is shown inFig.1.

In sinking the shafts for the temporary foundation the excavationwallswill be backed and prevented from caving in by inserting a sheet-metalcylinder or employing other well-known means to guard against quicksand.hen the shaft or shafts have reached the desired depth, a foundationblock or bottom B is formed or cast therein, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.This block may be composed of cement, broken stone, or any othermaterial or composition suitable for the purpose. The vertical timbers OO, forming the supporting-columns, are next lowered into the well-holesor shafts, the lower ends resting on the foundation-blocks, as shown,the upper ends just projecting above the mouth of the shafts, as shownin Fig.1. The timbers O C will usually be square-in crosssection, andany number may be used. The sides of the timbers adjacentto thepermanent foundation-walls will be provided with the horizontalplanking-pieces a, and the spaces around the other sides of the columnsfilled in with sand, earth, or other material to retain said columns ina true perpendicular position. The horizontal timbers D D are placed ontop of the vertical timbers O G and run parallel to thefoundation-walls. Next in their order come the transverse timberblocksa, the longitudinal timbers a the transverse blocks a the series of jack-screws a, the longitudinal cap-timbers E, resting on top of thescrews, the transverse girders F, the longitudinal plates of, laid atintervals on top ofthe first series of girders, and the conipaniongirders G, resting on top of said plates. The companion series ofgirders F and G pass through openings made in the old walls, theirrespective ends resting on the temporary foundation on each side of thepermanent foundation wall or walls, as shown in Fig. 1. The temporaryfoundation is further strengthened by the diagonal brace-timbers H H,the upper ends of which have a bearing against the outer edges of thetimbers E and the under side of the lower girders. The opposite ends ofthese braces bear against the inclined jack-screw b, which in turn restson the foundation-block b. The weight of the building being transferredto the temporary support by a proper use of the jack-screws, thatportion of the old foundation-walls 6 as indicated in dotted lines, Fig.1, below the temporary transverse girders may be removed and anexcavation made down to the depth it is intended to lower the permanentfoundation.

b represents the bottom line of the new part of the old foundation.

1) b are uprights placed against the planking on the supporting-columnsof the temporary foundation. The screws d bear against said uprights,and the respective ends of the transverse braces d bear against saidscrews. These braces are arranged at intervals, as shown in Fig. 1, andprovide additional strengthening features when the earth is removed frombetween the two parallel rows of shafts. When the excavation between thetemporary foundation-line is completed, the new part of the old wall maybe run up and the work of lowering the foundation completed withfacility.

In running atunnel under a river for streetcars the entrance must startin a number of blocks from each side, thus necessarily pass ing under anumber of buildings and below some of the foundation-walls. The descentor grade from each side or the ends of the tunnel being gradual, all ofthe foundationwalls need not be lowered to the same depth, but inaccordance with the steps (1 as shown in Fig. 4.

g represents the bottom line of the tunnel, g the top, and g the line ofthe old foundation in Fig. 4.

I do not confine myself to the precise arrangementshown for building upor constructing the temporary foundation, but may make such changes aspractical working may require without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method herein described of lowering the foundation of buildings,which con-.

sists in first sinking a number of parallel rows of well-holes or shaftsalong each side of the respective foundation-walls proper, next buildingup a temporary foundation from the bottom of saidshafts to therequiredheight, and then connecting said parallel temporary foundationsat the top by transverse girders or beams passing through the permanentfoundation-walls, whereby the building may be temporarily supported andthe permanent foundation lowered to any desired depth, substantially asdescribed.

ing through the permanent foundation-walls,

next transferring the weight of the building from the permanent to thetemporary support, then excavating between the temporary walls, andlowering the old permanent walls to the required depth, substantially asset forth.

3. The method herein described for transferring the weight of buildingsfrom their permanent foundation to a foundation of a temporarycharacter,which consists in first sinking a number of well-holes orshafts on each side of the permanent foundation-walls, next casting orforming a foundation-block in the bottom of said shafts, next placingsupporting-columns in said shafts, the lower ends resting on thefoundation-blocks and the upper ends projecting above the mouths of therespective shafts, next connecting the tops of said columns bytransverse girders passing through the permanent foundation,nexttransferring the Weight from the permanent to the temporary foundation,next excavating and lowering the permanent foundation-walls to thedesired depth, and finally removing the temporary support and filling inthe excavation, substantially as set forth.

4. In a means for transferring the weight of buildings from a permanentto a temporaryfoundation, the combination,with the permanent wall orwalls, of a number of wellholes or shafts sunk each side of and runningparallel to said wall or walls, the foundationblocks placed in thebottom of said shafts, the supporting timbers or columns placed in saidshafts and resting their lower ends on said foundation-blocks, thelongitudinal timbers resting on the projecting ends of the verticaltimbers, the transverse blocking, the next course of longitudinaltimbers, the next trans verse blocks, the system of jack-screws, thelongitudinal cap-timbers, the lower series of transverse girders, thelongitudinal plates resting thereon, and the upper series of companiongirders, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the permanent foundation-walls,the well-holes orshafts excavated on each side of the same and running paralleltherewith, and the temporary foundations built up from the bottom ofsaid'shafts to and supporting the building at a point above the surfaceof the ground,whereby that part of the old wall below the top of thetemporary support may be removed and the permanent foundations lowered,substantially as described.

6. The combination of the permanent foundation-walls, the well-holes orshafts', the temporary foundation built up therefrom, the uprightsbearing against the adjacent faces of 1c the temporarysupporting-columns, the transverse braces located therebetweeu, and thediagonal braces, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT. Witnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. COUPLAND.

